Skeg repair

Hoffer

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Hey everyone. Been around for a while but this is my first post. Love the site!

Labor Day weekend, I put the boat in at Lewis and Clark state park and as I was coming out of the marina, right when I was starting to accelerate, I hit what must have been a rock pile. Well I turned around and loaded the boat to assess the damage. Turns out I completely wrecked my aluminum prop and tore at least half of my skeg off. All things considered, it could have been a lot worse. I don't see any damage to the gear casing/lower unit, prop shaft appears to be strait and no damage to the hull of the boat. I suppose the sacrificial aluminum parts did what they were supposed to do. I already ordered a new prop. My question is about the skeg. Anyone ever used a skeg guard or similar product as a skeg replacement? Pros/cons? Should I take it in and have it repaired/welded? Should I just leave it? Here's a picture. Thanks!

image.jpg
 


Wild and Free

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There are bolt on replacement skegs one could go with but if it is not bent way off to one side I would not worry too much about it, is not of any performance value but does aid in prop protection a bit. Cost wise I would look into a bolt on unit rather than try to rebuild that one.
Here is yet another damage incident that could have been prevented with Costa sun glasses to be able to see things in shallow water.

Here is just one of many different types of similar products.
http://skeggard.com/
 

SDMF

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I bonked mine on a rock Memorial Day. Bolted on a SS Skegguard the next weekend and all is well.
 

BDub

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It looks to me that the skeg still extends past the prop. I wouldn't get too worked up about it. The welded jobs never last. The skeg guards work good.
 


Sub_Elect

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I would get it fixed. It DOES aid in performance, specifically YOUR STEERING!!!!!!! That being said, it will be ok to use in the short term, but get it fixed and have the prop shaft checked out, you won't be able to see a bent one unless it's terribly bent. If it's bent a bit it can take out bearings and seals. If you have a crack in the skew that you can't see it will break eventually and the boat will be hard to steer, if you can steer it at all!
 

Jigaman

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cant tell by the picture but if it still sticks down lower than the prop and isnt really bent one way or another just leave it. When I bought my boat the skeg was broken. I bolted on a skeg guard and was good to go. At least until I hit a stump and broke it off. It did save my prop though and I put another skeg guard back on.
 

sumpbuster

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buddy just had his repaired at boat works in Mandan it cost him less then $100
 

johnr

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I run a 225 optimax and broke mine off last summer, I used it a half dozen times with no issues in performance or steering at all. Even at speed of upto 52 MPH
I did put a stainless steel guard on, it just felt better to have a bit of protection, but it seriously did not affect my steering at all.
 

Jigaman

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I run a 225 optimax and broke mine off last summer, I used it a half dozen times with no issues in performance or steering at all. Even at speed of upto 52 MPH
I did put a stainless steel guard on, it just felt better to have a bit of protection, but it seriously did not affect my steering at all.

You may not think having your "skeg" being a couple inches short has an effect on your performance but I bet your wife does.
 
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